Final Day in Peru

On day 3 of my trip, I was not at all sure what I would do, yet I knew I wanted to make the absolute best of the time I had left in this great nation! Because I was interested in the United State’s relation to Peru, I visited a warehouse, which contains consumer goods that may end up in the USA. I gained access to this area, for Carlos invited me. The fish he caught would, over a long period of time, end up in this warehouse to be later shipped off to major trade partners of Peru. These partners included USA, China, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil. This fascinated me, for it made me realize how much of a direct impact the man I stayed with really has on my country, even though, he is, after all, just a fisherman. After this, Carlos was granted the day off so he let me examine a factory in the heart of Lima. Here, at this factory, I observed several elements, petroleum, textiles, steel, and cement. These items are manufactured and eventually sold to help Peru’s economy. Lastly, when it was starting to get dark, a colorful Peruvian festival was taking place. In downtown Lima, this festival was, indeed, celebrating its patron Saint, just as every Peruvian town does. This cultural celebration was a fitting way to end a very cultural week for me. Now, after the festival concluded, I had to go grab my things from Carlos’ apartment and catch my flight. I thanked Carlos for allowing me to stay with him during my visit. Now, I had to  depart Peru, though, in no way did I want to leave. The three days I spent in the wonderful nation, Peru, were very beneficial to my life and I strongly encourage visiting any time possible!

2nd Day in Peru

On my second day in Peru, I decided to attend some compelling events that would directly relate to the culture of the country. I woke up bright and early. After enjoying some leftovers from the night before as breakfast, I headed to the city while Carlos went to fish and his wife went to make clothing that would eventually be sold. In the city, I would attend both a basketball game and soccer game. At the soccer game, fans were extremely passionate about their team and the way they play. In Peru, soccer is easily the most popular sport. This game was played at the National Stadium, where fans expressed their excitement through cheers and celebrations. After this game, I traveled out to a more rural community, right outside the city, to be entertained by a bullfighting. This was at the Plaza de Acho, and I was very pleased with the sport, for I have never seen it in person ever before in my life. In the afternoon, I met back up with Carlos and we visited his nephew, Diego. Diego is a 14 year old boy who attends school a Peruvian high school. In his case, Diego attends a private school, as Carlos’ family members are all middle class citizens, who can afford private schooling. Diego’s family chooses to send him to private school, for the free, public schools of Peru are currently having huge struggles. All the sudden, as we were walking out of school with Diego, he tripped and fell. He seemed to have been seriously injured, so I used my instincts to call an ambulance. Although, Carlos and his family have health insurance, Diego had to wait an extremely long period of time just to see a true physician. This is mainly do to the nationwide shortage of doctors, nurses, facilities, and services. This problem mostly occurs in the city I was in, Lima! After this stressful period of time, Carlos and I went back home to his apartment and I went straight to bed. The next day would be the last day I spend in Peru, so I was bursting open with true excitement for what I would next.

Day 1 in Peru

In October of 2014, I arrived in Peru’s capital city, Lima. I had now begun the first day in my 3 day trip into the South American nation. First once I was officially in the city, I met the father of the house I was staying in for lunch, Carlos Jose. Jose was a 28 year-old fisherman who got married just two months prior to me meeting him. Fishing, along with mining, are among the most popular jobs in the country and the largest sources of money for the country, altogether. At this restaurant, we ate food that was native to Peru, and this excited me, for I was already embracing true culture of Peru. We were soon served a delicious combination of chicken, fish, tomatoes, potatoes, and rice. After getting to know Carlos for quite some time, he drove me to his home that was also in urban Peru. He and his wife lived in a fairly nice apartment building in the city, as Carlos was a middle class citizen. In the car, Carlos discussed how much he enjoyed living in Lima, yet he expressed his disdain for the way the city is growing much too fast and becoming very overcrowded. Along with his fishing job, Carlos works as an editor for a popular newspaper in Lima called the Ojo to make extra money. Although, there is freedom of press in Peru, there is still a very large amount of government censorship on what the general public sees. At times, this aggravates employees, as they constantly have to watch what they write. When we arrived at Carlos’ apartment, I greeted his wife and had a few conversations about Peru’s culture. As she often earns money for creating clothing, she was able to give me an insight on the types of clothing citizens wear. She informed me that most clothing worn by people in Peru is of a western style, but also includes attire that is native to areas near the Andes, like hats, ponchos, skirts, belts, and other pieces. After a night of relaxing and speaking with Carlos and his wife, we had a dinner of fish and potatoes. Shortly after, I went to sleep in their small extra bedroom, ready for another great day in Peru.

Introduction to Peru

Peru, the nation located in South America, has many distinct qualities that truly set it apart from other countries in the world. Because of this, visiting Peru is an excellent choice, if you are planning on taking a South American vacation. The people and lifestyles of the country make it such a remarkable place. Though, there are a few things to be conscious of before your visit. Located in the western section of the continent, Peru borders Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador. Essentially, Peru is a tropical country, with most of it right below the equator. So in preparation of your travels, remember that Peru has relatively warm temperatures at all times of the year with the average temperature being 70 degrees. Geographically, Peru is split into three regions. These regions are the Arid Costa in the west, the rugged Sierra and Andes area near the center, and wet and forested Amazon area in the East. Along with its climate, you should also prepare for its national languages, Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara by being as familiar with them as you can. If you and your group, as travelers, efficiently prepare for Honduras, its climate, and its living conditions, I guarantee your trip will be exceedingly enjoyable!

Final Day in Honduras

Now, I am in my last day in Honduras, and I surely wanted to make the best of it! On this day, I wanted to include as many activities as I could in what little time I had. So, first I decided to take the Honduras National Highway, which a vital highway for the transportation of goods across the country, all the way to a cotton and corn plantation out in the Pacific lowlands. In advance, I spoke with the assistant president at the plantation about interviewing him and recording data about the economy of Honduras. When I arrived at the plantation, I was kindly greeted by the man, a mestizo, and he let me sit down with him for lunch. At lunch, we ate food similar to the food I had eaten at Emma Valle’s house and the restaurant. Once again, I was impressed by this local food. Throughout the meal, we talked about the way people make money in Honduras. He informed me that in the Pacific lowlands, people make money off sesame seed, cotton, corn, sorghum, and cattle. He also told me that in the central highlands, the main goods are coffee, wheat, tobacco, fruit, vegetables, pigs and cattle. After continuing to talk for a couple more hours, I got the chance to walk around the plantation and watch the citizens do their jobs. Later, I had only a couple hours left in Honduras, so I decided to return to the city to speak with a environmentalist about some important topics. He told me the interesting fact that, overall, Honduras is 40% covered by forests. He, being a Roman Catholic, along with most of the population of Honduras, is not only worried that Honduras’s development will call for a destruction of these forests because it will harm the environment. He also firms believes that God’s creations, like the forests, shouldn’t be destroyed. This was one of the more fascinating conversations I took part in on my trip, for it showed how passionate this man, named Francesco, was about his country and its environmental state. After thanking this man for his time, I went to the hotel, packed up my things, and headed to the airport. After these 3 days, I have learned what a unique and diverse country Honduras is, through direct contact with its people. I completely recommend visiting Honduras sometime in your life, so you can embrace its diversity, just like I did.

Honduras Day 2

Now it is my second day in the nation of Honduras, which I have now come to admire because of its diverse people and scenery. Today, I will venture into a different part of Honduras! This area is called the coastal highlands. Here, I hoped to meet a myriad of new people, but also go on a hike in the mountains. After eating some leftovers from my dinner last night for breakfast, I took a cab out to this region where I met an old friend of mine from college who is from Honduras. He lives in the coastal highlands and has 3 teenage children, who receive free education, like all youths in Honduras. My friend, Emma Valle, owns a cattle and pig ranch. Because he is a wealthier man, he can afford adequate health insurance for his family. Sadly, because of costs, many people of this developing country can’t afford health insurance. This contributes to the especially high death rate in Honduras. When I first arrived at Emma Valle’s home, I was served once again seafood, but this time the side items were beans and rice. This home-cooked food was even more delicious than the food I had at the restaurant the day before! After lunch, I was saddened by a story that Emma Valle and his children had to tell me. They explained to me that in 1998, their local community was strongly affected by Hurricane Mitch. There home was devastated, and even worse, they lost their mother. In general, Honduras, as a nation, is especially vulnerable to natural disasters, like hurricanes, due to its location. Because of this, homes must be built with stronger, more expensive materials. This, in itself, is a factor in how poor the people of Honduras are. Thereafter, Emma Valle and I took a long hike in the mountain range nearby in the coastal highlands. Next, it was time for me to say goodbye to Emma Valle and his family and thank them for having me at their home. Last, I took a cab back to my hotel, read some pages from my book, and went to sleep, giving my body a rest from the tiring activities that filled this wonderful day.

Day 1 in Honduras

It is January 26 and I have just arrived in Tegucigalpa, the national capital of Honduras. This urban area is very impressive, as I have already spoken with people of four different ethnic groups. These groups include include black, miskito, mestizo, and American Indian. I met a man named Frank from the Guatemalan border whose ancestors were American Indians. He was actually my waiter at the restaurant where I decided to eat. Here, I was served seafood with some delicious corn as a side item. Already, I was very much impressed by the way of life here in Honduras, and I had only tried their food! Next, I decided to walk around and observe the great scenery of Honduras. While walking, a black woman bumped into me. In our collision, she dropped the papers she was carrying and fell to the ground. She then explained to me that we was in such a rush because she was late for work. Though, I did not know this woman, Mercedez, I decided to ask her if I could accompany her to work, as it would help me in writing my National Geographic article on Honduras. She accepted my request. Thereafter, I drove with her out to a more rural part of Honduras where fruit grows, most especially bananas. On the way there, she told me about how she moved to Tegucigalpa from the Caribbean and about the most common goods that come from the northern coast area of Honduras. These products included bananas, rice, and beans. This is very fascinating, as I learned that 40% of the workforce in Honduras is in agriculture! Once we arrived, I watched her in what she does in her field of work. Her job is to sort bananas by if they will be edible or not after other workers pick them. The best part of this venture in my visit was getting to taste a fresh banana straight from a tree. It tasted fresher and more appetizing than any fruit I have had in my life! After staying at the banana farm for a couple more hours, Mercedez kindly drove me back to my hotel in urban Tegucigalpa. After a long and informational day, I went straight to bed. I already knew that I would fully enjoy my three days in Honduras by the great people that I met on this day.